It didn't take very long for me to realize this was unlike anything else I had ridden before. Mat Mladin's 2009 AMA championship winning American Superbike is fast. Really fast. So fast in fact that the first thing I was able to scribble in my notes was, "Had to slow down because my brain couldn't process everything my eyes were seeing fast enough." And to think, these bikes are nothing like superbikes from years past...
Love him or hate him, Mat Mladin set the bar for all other AMA Pro Roadracing champions to come. His seven championships are a testament to his skill, training and the dedication of his Yoshimura Suzuki team. Even with the purchase of the previous AMA regime by DMG, whose goal was to make the racing less expensive for everyone through homologation of parts, which would then mandate that everything be available to anyone who has the cash. In essence, taking away that perceived advantage Mladin had over the competition. It didn't matter. He still won the championship in convincing fashion. This after admitting that he lost interest in the series midway through the season.
Taming The Beast
The outline for the test ride was simple: we'd get five laps aboard each of Mat's bikes at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. At the end of the first five lap stint, come in, switch, and do another five. Each bike came to the track exactly as they rolled off the truck at the season finale in New Jersey, except for slightly softer fork springs-1.0kg as opposed to the 1.1kg Mladin normally runs. Also, Mat's "A" bike featured offset triple clamps that offer a half-degree extended rake that also offset the crown three millimeters forward of the steering stem. This made for a bike that wasn't as quick to turn-in, but was more stable once on its side. The "B" bike, meanwhile, has the triples in their standard offset and steering geometry for quicker steering at the expense of stability. Depending on the track Mladin would ride both and choose which he liked best, then the other would be set up identical.
Fully stripped you can see...
Fully stripped you can see the complete titanium exhaust piping along with the full trapezoidal racing radiator. But unlike superbikes of old the stock swingarm and forks remain (with updated internals in the latter).
Not having ridden a bike of this caliber, I didn't know what to expect. Surprisingly enough, power output isn't as intimidating as expected-no doubt because of the stock bottom end. Wait, stock bottom end? Yup. When asking Rich Doan and Denis Ackland of Yoshimura about power modifications, both seemed rather disappointed. The reason is because under the new rules structure everything below the cylinder head is bone stock. Stock pistons, stock connecting rods, and, yes, a stock crankshaft. Gone are the days of titanium bits and quick-revving engines. Heads are fully ported and house Yoshimura camshafts with the same lift but longer duration as allowed by the rules. Cam sprockets are also adjustable to allow for optimum cam timing. Compression is raised slightly via thinner head gaskets. A standard R77 exhaust system, available through Yoshimura, allows the GSX-R to breathe. Believe it or not, that's basically it for internal engine mods. These simple changes are good enough for about 185-horsepower to the wheel-about 15-20 less horsepower than superbikes of old. Making it all work correctly is a Magnetti Marelli ECU that controls and datalogs a multitude of parameters: suspension travel, brake pressure, timing, fuel mixture, and traction control, just to name a few. Speaking of traction control, Mladin's bike is equipped with a six-level system. Depending on the situation the rider is able to adjust it-on the fly-via the standard toggle buttons normally used to select the different drive modes on standard GSX-R models. Qualifying laps generally mean the system is turned to the lowest setting (or even off), while higher settings can be used when Mat has a comfortable lead and wants to maintain the tire for the length of the race.
Brembo monobloc four-piston...
Brembo monobloc four-piston calipers are standard fare, each with just two pads biting 320mm discs. Fork springs are normally 1.1kg, but were reduced to 1.0kg for this test.
Don't get the wrong idea about this bike's speed though. It's almost deceiving how fast it really is because the power seems manageable with a steady wrist, but before you know it you're flashing through the speedtraps bordering on 200 mph with no idea how you got there. Of course this much speed requires equally impressive brakes and the homlogated Brembo racing units provided an incredible amount of stopping power with steady, progressive feel through the lever stroke. Each four-piston caliper utilized just two pads and a 320mm disc on each side.
Information Overload
Right. It's fast in a straight line and sheds speed, but does it handle? Boy does it ever. Despite the fact that the rules mandate the use of 17-inch wheels wrapped in Dunlop 125/80-ZR17 front and 195/65-ZR17, both bikes change direction on a whim. Even the "A" bike, with its increased rake and an offset crown, changes direction incredibly quick. In comparison to the the lines normally reserved for standard roadbikes, Mladin's bike requires the rider to brake much later than they're used to and immediately slam the bike onto its side, which is beneficial in long, constant-radius turns, like turn six at the Speedway. In contrast, the "B" bike was noticeably less composed, but when quick direction changes were needed-like at the tight chicane at the end of the back straight-the difference between the two bikes was noticeable. Surprisingly, despite the fact that Mladin likes his bikes stiff neither of these two felt jarring to ride even at my much slower pace. Granted, the bikes were equipped with slightly softer springs, but 1.0kg springs are still plenty stiff compared to what's in a standard GSX-R.
A giant gear indicator dominates...
A giant gear indicator dominates the gauge cluster. Above it is the tachometer while lap times are displayed to the right. "Map 1" indicates which fuel map is engaged, and the "3" on each side is the level of traction control engaged. The numbers are on both sides so Mladin can glance at it in both left and right turns.
Magneti Marelli electronics...
Magneti Marelli electronics orchestrate this symphony with parameters to record suspension travel, throttle position, fuel mixture, traction control, and brake pressure, just to name a few.
Mladin's "A" bike featured...
Mladin's "A" bike featured triple clamps that added a half-degree more rake and offset the crown three-millimeters forward of the steering head. This improved stability at the expense of turn-in.
Catch cans mounted at the...
Catch cans mounted at the front of the bike (and hidden by the bodywork) collect overflow from the radiator (left bottle) and fuel.
These fork extenders allow...
These fork extenders allow the front ride height to be raised beyond the natural length of each stanchion. The red button on the right is the ignition switch while the button below it controls pit lane speed.
Here you can see the reinforced...
Here you can see the reinforced lower triple clamp along with the T-connection for the brake lines. Note also the beefed-up mount for the steering stabilizer.
You'd expect this bike to be well composed practically everywhere, and the same is true on corner exits. Pick up the power and the rear Ohlins TTX shock slighlty compresses and the less progressive Yoshimura linkage minimizes squat, making for a tire that grabs the road and transmits the engine's power to the ground in forward propulsion instead of spinning the tire to shreds.
Once I wrapped my head around the sheer effort it takes to ride this thing I took a second to evaluate Mladin's "office." Immediately, the first thing I noticed was the seating position has the rider perched higher than a standard GSX-R1000 to where my toes were the only things touching the ground. Beyond that, the starter button is now on the left handlebar, and that illuminates an LCD gauge cluster that can toggle through a number of different displays. The one Mladin cares about during the race is dominated by a large gear indicator in the center of the display. In the lower left corner is a display telling him which engine map he's in, and on each side of the cluster is a small number between zero and six indicating which level of traction control he's using.
Trying To Make Sense Of It All
And just as things were starting to make sense the time was up-ten laps flies by when riding a rocketship. Make no mistake, this bike isn't for the faint of heart. They're wild animals that take a skilled pilot to tame and after riding one it's clear why Mladin takes his training off the bike so seriously. Here's some food for thought: Unlike the rest of the domestic superbike championships in the world-which adopts world superbike style rules allowing for more open levels of modification-the new American Superbike rulebook is similar to what used to be known as "Superstock", meaning internal modifications to the engine are restricted, as are the use of 16.5-inch wheels, custom swingarms, and a host of others that we simply don't have room to list. Throughout the season Mladin, along with a number of riders, complained that these "super" bikes were only a shadow of the machines he rode just a year prior. I can't even imagine...